Ultrasound (US) imaging is equipment for imaging the structure and characteristics of an observation region in the human body by applying an ultrasonic signal to the observation region using an ultrasonic probe, receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected back from the tissue, and extracting information included in the signal. Its advantage is that real-time images with no adverse effect on the human body can be obtained at low costs, when compared to other medical imaging systems such as X-ray, CT, MRI, and PET.
On the other hand, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging technology refers to image processing technology and scheme for the real-time cross-sectional imaging of arteria in blood vessels or visualization of diseases occurred in blood vessels, and population aging and increasing number of people with chronic diseases such as cardiac diseases supports market growth, and low-cost treatments are required all over the world. Under this circumstance, IVUS can cope with the requirements that have been impossible to meet so far in early discovery and prevention of coronary artery diseases, and it has very high potential. Furthermore, as revealed from some international clinical research, this technology has more advantages than existing angiography, so it becomes popular. The use of IVUS for left main diseases, chronic complete obstruction, lower limb peripheral arterial diseases, and induction of blood vessel formation is a major challenging field of this technology.
For IVUS imaging, a core element, namely, a high frequency transducer needs to be produced with proper efficiency and costs. Because IVUS creates visual representations by inserting a transducer into the blood vessel, the diameter of the transducer should be 1 mm or less, and frequencies used to obtain high resolution images are high frequencies in 20-100 MHz bands. Because an IVUS transducer with small size, ability to transmit and receive ultrasound waves of high frequencies and disposability should be produced at a low cost, an efficient and economical production method is a key technical obstacle of IVUS imaging equipment. Prior Art Reference presented below describes an array ultrasonic transducer for IVUS imaging.